Cablegate: 1991 Annual Terrorism Report

R 151443Z NOV 91
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2835
INFO AMCONSUL CASABLANCA

UNCLAS RABAT 010076

DEPARTMENT FOR S/CT FOR BREELAND

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PTER MO
SUBJECT: 1991 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: STATE 346420

1. POST RESPONSES ARE KEYED TO QUESTIONS LISTED IN REFTEL PARA
5.

A) THERE WERE NO HOST GOVERNMENT PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM THIS YEAR. THE MOROCCAN JUDICIARY HAS
CHARGED 29 STUDENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST
ORGANIZATION "JUSTICE AND CHARITY" AT OUJDA UNIVERSITY WITH THE
KIDNAPPING AND MURDER OF AT LEAST TWO STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY
IN EARLY NOVEMBER.

B) NO EXTRADITIONS OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS WERE CARRIED OUT OR
REQUESTED IN 1991.

C) THERE ARE NO IMPEDIMENTS TO GOM PROSECUTIONS OF TERRORISTS.
MOROCCO DOES NOT HAVE AN EXTRADITION TREATY WITH THE U.S., BUT
WOULD LIKELY COOPERATE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS WITH ANY REQUEST
FOR THE EXTRADITION OF A TERRORIST.

D) THE MOROCCAN GOVERNMENT HAS CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED A
WILLINGNESS TO RESPOND TO SECURITY CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY THOSE
INVOLVING POTENTIAL TERRORIST THREATS. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
GULF WAR, THE GOM UNDERTOOK EXCEPTIONAL SECURITY MEASURES TO
PREEMPT POSSIBLE TERRORIST ACTIONS IN MOROCCO, AND PROVIDED
ENHANCED SECURITY FOR U.S. FACILITIES AND PERSONNEL. THE GOM,
HOWEVER, PREFERS TO HANDLE THESE ISSUES QUIETLY AND DOES NOT
GENERALLY ISSUE PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON SECURITY MATTERS.

E) THE GOM PARTICIPATES AS AN OBSERVER IN THE ANNUAL MINISTERIAL
CONFERENCE OF THE TREVI GROUP. THE GOM ALSO PARTICIPATED IN
SEPTEMBER 1990 IN A REVIEW OF THE U.S.-MOROCCO BILATERAL
AGREEMENT ON COUNTERTERRORISM, NARCOTICS AND ORGANIZED CRIME,
PART OF AN ONGOING BILATERAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES
ON COUNTERTERRORISM ISSUES.

F) THE GOM DOES NOT SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, EITHER
RHETORICALLY OR MATERIALLY.

G) MOROCCO IS LINKED TO LIBYA BY BOTH COUNTRIES' MEMBERSHIP IN
THE ARAB MAGHREB UNION, AS WELL AS BY EXTENSIVE COMMERCIAL TIES.

THE GOM HAS SOUGHT THE LIFTING OF SANCTIONS AGAINST LIBYA, BUT
HAS NOT SUPPORTED LIBYA ON A TERRORISM ISSUE. MOROCCO STRONGLY
SUPPORTS THE PALESTINIANS' CLAIM TO SELF-DETERMINATION, AND
CONSIDERS THE PLO TO BE THE LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. MOROCCO HAS LONG WORKED TO MODERATE THE PLO,
HOWEVER, AND SUPPORTS A PEACEFUL, NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT OF THE
ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT. THE GOM ENCOURAGES THE PLO TO LIVE UP TO
ITS COMMITMENT TO RENOUNCE TERRORISM.

H) THE GOM DEMONSTRATED HEIGHTENED SENSITIVITY TO TERRORIST
THREATS RESULTING FROM THE GULF WAR. THIS HEIGHTENED SENSITIVITY
HAS CONTINUED INTO THE POST-WAR PERIOD, RESULTING IN INCREASED
RESPONSIVENESS TO USG SECURITY CONCERNS. THE GOM IS ALSO
INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR DOMESTIC
TERRORISM, BOTH AS THE RESULT OF EXTREMIST OPPOSITION TO MIDDLE
EAST PEACE NEGOTIATIONS AND THE RECENT STUDENT VIOLENCE BETWEEN
ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST AND LEFTIST STUDENT FACTIONS.

USSERY

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